CM asked to withdraw cases against officers

Officers’ body says cases are politically motivated

The TS Gazetted Officers’ Association (TSGOA) has written to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, seeking withdrawal of the cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) against public servants during the struggle for a separate statehood, claiming that the Congress government targeted certain officers.

However, the ACB said cases were booked based on complaints and evidence. There are nearly 25 cases in the list presented to the CM, and sources revealed that there was a positive response from the CM.

In 2013 and 2014, five public servants were booked by the ACB for being in possession of disproportionate assets and 21 officials were booked under trap cases. Members of the TSGOA are willing to vouch for these public servants saying that those who were booked were in support of the formation of a separate state and were thus targeted by the Congress government.

Those booked include T. Narsimha, senior assistant at Osmania University; S. Sambasiva Rao, District Education Officer of Nizamabad; Mandal Education Officer Jadav Dev Rao; Gopala Krishna, lecturer from the department of education; G. Kumara Swamy, assistant engineer from the irrigation department; assistant tech. officer K. Rajeshwar Rao; and district education officer A. Jagdeesh.

Padma Chary, president of the TSGOA, says, “In the undivided AP, government employees belonging to the Telangana region who played an active role in the struggle were targeted and booked under disproportionate assets case and criminal misconduct cases due to political grudges. A majority of these cases remain open as enquiries are pending. A few of the officers booked have already retired, but their cases are still pending. We are requesting the CM to appoint a one-man commission to investigate the cases and drop those who were booked due to political grudges.”

However, the ACB stands firm that all of the cases booked are genuine. “The cases have been booked based on credible information gathered aftera thorough investigation. In the trap cases, the accused is caught red-handed. In disproportionate assets cases, the complaint is examined; after approval from the director-general of the ACB and with a warrant from the court, searches are conducted, and a case is booked based on the ill-gotten wealth unearthed. A public servant ca-nnot be nailed if he is clean,” officers of the ACB said.